Worth merpvitt



(No Model.)

W. MERRITT.

DOFFBR CLEANER FOR OARDING MACHINES. No. 348,498. Patented Aug. 31, 1888.

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Umrnn STATES PATENT @rrrca.

\VORTI'I MERRITT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

DOFFER-CLEANER FOR CARDlNG-MACHINES.

EPECIFICATIDN forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,498, dated August 31,1886.

A pplieation filed March 2-1. 1886. Serial No. 190,139.

To all whom 2'25 may concern.-

Be it known that IAVORTII M ERRITT, of the city of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Doffer-(lleaners for Carding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

As is wellknown, in carding machinery the doffer is liable to become clogged with the fibers of the material being carded, and it is therefore necessary to provide some means whereby said IlbBlS may be raised from the teeth of the doll'er-clothing and carried, preferably, back to the main cylinder; and this is the object of my invention. Said object is accomplished by intcrposing in the space between the main cylinder and dofl'cr, beneath the fancy, a revolving cleaner having a strip of eardclothing upon one side, which will operatc to remove the fibers from the doffer and carry said fibers into a position where they may be taken oil" by said main cylinder. This improves the carding of the stock, and prevents waste by keeping the doller constantly clean, which enables it to receive the stock properly from the main cylinder. It also obviates the necessity of stopping the cardingmachine to clean the dotfer by hand, and per-,

mits the machine to be operated a much longer time without stopping for a complete cleaning than heretofore.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure]. is a side elevation of a cardingmachiue provided with my said invention; Fig. 2, a detail and partially sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the bearings and brackets which support the cleaner and supplemental cleaner, respectively; and Fig. 3, a detail section on an enlarged scale showing the particular parts constituting my said invention and portions of those immediately adjacent thereto.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the main cylinder; 13, the doffer; O, a fancy; D, my cleaner; E, a rotary brush orsecondary cleaner,and F the frame of the cardingmachine. The ordinary workers and strippers are also shown, but without letters of reference. All these several parts, except my cleaner and the rotary brush or secondary cleaner (no Hinder.

therefor, are of substantially the construction and arrangement usually employed in carding machinery of this class. All of the several parts revolve in the directions indicated by the arrows shown in connection therewith. The cleaner I) is arranged as shown, so that the teeth of the strip of card-clothing secured thereto will, as it revolves, pass between the teeth of the card-clothing on the doffer and also in close proximity to the main cylinder.

It operates to raise the liher that may adhere to the doffer and carry it around to where it will be again taken up by the main cylinder A, which revolves at a greater peripheral speed than the cleaner. Said cleaner preferably consists of a cylinder having a suitable shaft, D, supported in bearings d on brackets F, extending out from the frame of the carding-machine. This shaft is driven by a belt, 1), running to a pulley thereon from a similar pulley on the shaft of the first worker.

\Vhile I have shown a cylinder withasingle strip of card-clothing attached, and regard this as theprefcrablc form of cleaner, Imight, of course, attach two or more strips without departing from my invention; and, instead of using a cylinder to attach the strip of cardclothing to a bar or section of a cylinder, supported by arms on the shaft, or any othersuitableframc, would be the equivalent of a cyl inder for this purpose,'and operate in the same manner.

It is intended to have this cleaner mounted in adjustable bearings, in order that it may be accurately adjusted in its relation to themain cylinder and doffer, or the adjustment varied when required.

Slotted holes d for, the bolts (2, which secure the bearings in position, are shown (see particularly Fig. 2) as a means of adjustment for the bearings; but these are more matters of mechanical detail and do not constitute the substance of my invention.

In practical operation it will be advisable in most cases to have the eleanerD set in such a position that the wires will pass close to, but not quite in contact with, those of the main cylinder, as this will leave the stock on the wires of said cylinder in better condition to be received by the wires of the dolfer.

The direction in which the wires of this cleaner are bent, as will be observed by an examination of the drawings, is reverse to that of the wires on the cylinder, doffer, and fancy, and thus said wires operate altogether to raise up the fibers adhering to the teeth of the doffer, and not at all to press or pack them down. The small revolving brush or secondary cleaner E is mounted upon brackets F and driven by thebolt E, and is arranged to assist in carrying the fibers raised by the cleaner 1) onto the cylinder A, and also serves to raise the stock on the teeth of the cleaner so that it will be taken off more easily by the main cylinder. This brush or secondary cleaner revolves faster than the cleaner D, and thus serves to raise the stock from said cleaner into a position to be better received by the main cylinder.

The operation is as follows: The wires d, as they revolve, pass between the wires 1) of the dofl'er, and comb out the stock or fibers and carry it around to a point where'they are close to or in contact with the wires a on the cylinder,which will receive the stock or fibers from said wires 4. The revolutions of the cleaner D are so timed as to successively operate upon different portions of the surface of the doffer B, so that its whole surface will eventually be cleaned, and this operation is continually repeated.

I am aware that the fancies of cardingmachines have heretofore been brought down in close proximity to the doffer, and they serve to some extent as a cleaner, but on account of the direction in which the wires or teeth of the fancy are necessarily bent in order to accomplish its main purpose it cannot be effected as a cleaner.

Having thus fully described my said invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the main cylinder, the doffer, the revolving cleaner, arranged as shown, and a revolving brush or secondary cleaner, substantially as shown and described.

2. The c0mbination,with the main cylinder and doffer of a carding-machine, of a cleaner set in close proximity to both, and a revolving brush set above said cleaner near the main cylinder, said cleaner and brush revolving in opposite directions,substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, in a carding-machine, of the main cylinder, doffer, a doffer-cleaner, the teeth of which are bent in the opposite direction to those of said doffer, and a revolving brush or secondary cleaner, all substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the main cylinder, doffer, a dofl'er-cleaner provided with teeth for only a portion of its circumference, and a revolving brush mounted to operate against the teeth of said dofi'er-cleaner, substantially as set forth.

5. In a carding-machine, the combination of the main cylinder, doffer, a doffer-cleaner mounted in the angle between said doffer and said main cylinder, and a revolving brush mounted above said doffer-cleaner, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 20th day of March, A. D. 1886.

WORTH MERRITT. [L. s.] Witnesses:

O. BRADFORD, CHARLES L. THURBER. 

